The couple wanted a catholic ceremony followed by a reception at a typically London location. The ceremony was important to them, but they also wanted an imaginative reception that reflected the two of them, what they enjoy and who they are. Vivake is American with Indian heritage and Ji-Eun is South Korean but has lived most of her life in the UK.
The Wedding
They viewed all 7 of the venues I pitched, and One Whitehall Place was the hands down winner with its stunning rooms and views over the Thames. I produced a mood board of colours for the wedding in burgundy, brown, gold, and vibrant autumnal colours.
The invitations were produced as small 'parcels' and handwritten by a calligrapher in gold ink. The envelopes were sealed with a gold wax seal stamp of their initials. I had this motif designed to carry through the wedding.
A white 1951 Bentley took Ji-eun to Farm Street church, decorated in ivory flowers with hints of autumnal shades in the pew ends and outside rails. After the ceremony guests departed in routemaster buses to the reception.
A series of lanterns guided guests up the sweeping staircase where a string quartet played on the landing. There, we handed out the placement cards - burgundy envelopes for the women and brown for the men. Inside each envelope was a sketch indicating where they were seated for dinner. This was a cause of much debate as guests tried to figure out what a drawing of an airplane, oysters etc had to do with where they were sitting!
Guests then entered the Reading and Writing room where they were served champagne cocktails and winterberry juice. En route a hand-calligraphed board detailed the evening's agenda. Canapés were served and guests helped themselves to a central seafood station with stunning scallop shell ice carving. A magician roved the room entertaining guests with close up tricks.
The room was dressed with trees at the entrance and storm lanterns and petals in the fireplaces. The occasional tables were draped in chocolate or green cloths with clear vases of flowers. In a corner we positioned the signing, surrounded it with p lit trees to create a little 'secret' corner where guests sit and write their guest book messages to the couple.
As dinner was announced guests made their way through the tree decorated entrance as the quartet played guests in to 'My favourite things' - a hint at what the table signs and matching placement cards meant. The tables were clothed in either brown or green opulence cloths with matching napkins and pin spotted to highlight the mixture of tall and low floral arrangements. Each table had a sign sketched in gold to match the placement card, so guests knew where to sit, there was also a scroll in matching paper and tied with gold ribbon explaining the relevance of the picture and why it was one of the couple's favourite things placed in the table arrangements.
At each setting we placed a toffee apple as a nod to it being that day after Thanksgiving.
After dessert the cake featuring a lifelike cake topper of the couple was cut and the couple led the way to the dancefloor, where the bar had been installed with illuminated panels displaying their emblem. Three cocktails were served, each named after the couple.
A band and DJ alternated throughout the night, and later on, Asian themed nibbles were tray served to guests along with the cake.
Photography by 2exposures